Monday 24 September 2012

Monday Bake - Nigella's Molten Chocolate Babycakes

 
Along with Rachel Allen, Nigella is one of my favourite cooks.  When she first appeared on tv I bought How To Be A Domestic Goddess, it quickly become one of my favourite baking books and still is. I have made a lot of the recipes and a lot of them I make a lot! 



As her new programme Nigellissima starts tonight on BBC2 at 8.30pm I thought I would do a recipe from that book that I have never done before....chocolate fondant.  Along with souffles it appears to be the scariest pudding to make.  You can find the recipe here on her website.  This recipe is also partly inspired by watching Celebrity Masterchef the past few weeks (someone always makes a chocolate fondant on there) and HOORAY Emma Kennedy won!

What is great about this recipe is that you can make it in advance and keep in the fridge until you need it - you just add 2 mins to the baking time. 



When I brought them out the oven and then inverted them onto the plate I did hold my breath to lift off the tin....but they were fine!    When I cut into the first one and the middle was runny I did a bit of a whoop!! 


We all enjoyed them - dark chocolate heaven. Minibakebakegirl did a good impression of the Greg Wallace Masterchef spoon action!  It was a perfect end to our Sunday dinner served with a scoop of Vanilla Mackies of course.

Thanks for visiting.

Todays top three Spotify songs:

1. Ode to Billy Joe - Bobby Gentry
2. Coward of The County - Kenny Rogers
3. Clouds Across The Moon - The Rah Band

Monday 17 September 2012

Monday Bake - Banana Traybake

I am always on the look out for recipes to use up ripe bananas so when Sister made me this delicious banana traybake I pinched the recipe!

Ingredients:
175g margarine
175g caster sugar plus some extra for sprinkling
225g self-raising flour
100g porridge oats
2 medium bananas - mashed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200c/GM6
Cream the margarine and sugar together.
Using a knife cut in the flour and oats to make a crumbly mixture.
Sprinkle half the mixture into a brownie tin and press down lightly.
Spread over the mashed banana.
Sprinkly over the rest of the mixture and press down lightly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
Sprinkle with caster sugar.
Cool and cut into pieces.
 
 
 
 
Thanks for visiting,
Bakebakegirl

Todays top three Spotify songs:

1. Money - The Flying Lizards
2. Loser - Beck
3. Save Tonight - Eagle-Eye Cherry

Monday 10 September 2012

Monday No Bake - Scottish Macaroon

I've had my sinus op :o(  Hubby told me it needed to get worse before it gets better and it has certainly done that.  I have caught up on sooo much tv - glad I was watching recorded programmes as I kept dozing off and having to rewind to the point where I fell asleep!  I'm onto series 5 of The Big Bang Theory.  E4 completely missed out series 4 but luckily Hubby found it on Tivo and I had a marathon day of watching the second half of it (had watched the first half at Sisters) as it was only available till midnight.  Hopefully once I have finished series 5 it won't be long before series 6 is out here :o)

I supervised MBBG making Hubbys birthday cake on Thursday.  This is my chocolate loaf cake without the orange juice, sandwiched and covered in chocolate buttercream with an M&M topping.  Every year as part of Hubby's presents from his Mum and Dad he gets a different box filled with M&M's.  This years is really cute with little drawers - it will look lovely on my dressing table!

 
 
It looks great doesn't it - tasted good too - even though I can't taste much at the moment! 



On Sunday 26 August me and Sister went to the recording of Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet at the BBC Edinburgh Festival Fringe. There was an audience of 200 people and before you went in you had to complete a survey and ask one foodie related question for the panel. Once we were seated the Producer spoke to everyone and explained that 9 questions had been picked for the panel and the 9 "lucky" people would sit in the front row to pose their questions during the show......Sister and I then spent the next 5 mins panicking that we would be picked!!! Luckily we weren't and were able to enjoy the show from where we were sitting - phew. Clarissa Dickson Wright was meant to be on but she had lost her voice. We really enjoyed it.  It was on Radio 4 on Tuesday 4 September 2012 - you can listen to it here. They record an hour and edit it to half an hour - it was interesting to see what they cut out.

They discussed several scottish delicacies - including chippy sauce! One of the sweet scottish delicacies they discussed (and cut out) was Scottish Macaroon - totally different to English or French macaroons - it contains a secret ingredient - potato! Warning: - this is very very sweet recipe - but yummy! 

When I am feeling better I will make the macaroons and update this post with a picture.

Thanks for visiting,
Bakebakegirl

Todays top three Spotify songs:

1. Hey, Soul Sister - Train
2. At Home - Crystal Fighters
3. Uprising - Muse

Monday 3 September 2012

Monday Review - Paralympics and Primrose Bakery

No baking from me again this week, I am feeling a bit jittery - I have already broken my gravy jug this morning :o(  I am having my sinus operation later today.....so hopefully the right side of my face will be pressure free and will be back to feeling normal soon.  

On Thursday Minibakebakegirl and I went into London and did the Pink and Purple Wenlock and Mandeville trails and some shopping inbetween!  Minibakebakegirl took charge of the map and we had great fun spotting them.  My favourite was the Afternoon Tea one.

 
Late afternoon we went to the Primrose Bakery.  A lemon cupcake and cappuccino for me and chocolate cupcake and tea for Minibakebakegirl - it was delicious and we had great seats to watch the busy comings and goings of the bakery.   They have two books - which will be going on my christmas list!
 

 
     

Last Saturday Hubby, Minibakebakegirl and I went to the Paralympics.  We had day pass tickets and were able to see Goalball, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis - very good value for £25 for the three of us.   We were lucky enough to see GB at the Basketball - it was an excellent game - very exciting.  The Olympic Park is amazing and huge - and we had a good wander round - the wildflowers are so pretty - each of the benches had little facts on them - some about the factories that used to be on the site and some random facts!

 
 
 

 
Minibakebakegirl goes back to school tomorrow - can't quite believe how quickly the 6 weeks holidays have gone. She is going to be a Year 6 so this is her final year at Primary School - she is excited to be at the top of the school.

Thanks for visiting
Bakebakegirl

Todays top three Ipod songs:

1. Good People - Jack Johnson
2. 10,000 Nights - Alphabeat
3. Driftwood - Travis